wiggle wart

I fished in the same general area today with the Ned and caught lots of little smallmouth at the same depths Skeeter ZX190 mentioned. Also caught whites and one little walleye. Heavy on the sunscreen today. I tried a fluke around 6pm and caught a spot and a largemouth a little bigger than the smallies, but no keepers. Caught lots of fish though. I think the bass fishing should really get good in the next few days or so once they get acclimated to the high water. I look forward to catching decent fish in the flooded brush.

I have a nice area of public land picked out where I Saw plenty of tracks yesterday. I plan on hunting mainly in early November from my blind. Never shot a deer from a blind but have noticed it is gaining popularity. I like the idea of staying warmer and out of the wind, plus getting away with moving and not being detected. I will put it out of sight in cover. Hunted private land this morning and shot a small doe. Back straps on the grill tonight!

I am hunting the masters area of Stockton Lake.

Thanks! I bought that book last year. I have printed out topo maps of the areas I hunt, plus I look at Google Earth.

Thank you. That was very helpful.

I learned a little on archery hunting in private land with a guy many would consider an expert. I hunted public land on my own last year and discovered how difficult it can be. No trail cameras, a climber stand, and little knowledge on deer movement in the area due to lack of time. I didn't shoot a deer last year but I'm not giving up. There is so much to learn. I've learned that there's much more to the sport than the kill, although that is the ultimate goal. I will keep trying and learning as I go. One thing I like is talking to other bow hunters who seem more than willing to share experiences. These are good folks. I'm excited and ready to try again this year. I may not shoot a deer, but I will learn more that's for sure.

Tinks has this new blowup doll for bucks called "Miss November." You can s/tand her up or lay her down. What will they think of next? Anybody tried out this new novelty?

I hunted by Masters last year and didn't see anything but a big spike, but he was right under me, although not legal so I didn't shoot. Also saw people walking around scouting and setting up stands for gun season which was closing in when I went. The archery and mussleloading area there is very open and tough to bowhunt, since it's open there the deer can spot you long before you get to where you are setting up. That's been my experience. Anybody else have any ideas on that area I'd love to hear them. Last year was my first time hunting there and I'm still learning.

I have been fishing Stockton for years and I don't fish tournaments. But, I have never had a problem with tournament fishermen. There's a lot of lake and if it gets crowded in one area I move to another. I do try to avoid jet skis and skiers, but there's room for everybody. Overall, most people are considerate. How you react to someone can make the difference between a good or bad encounter. There are a ton of fish in Stockton. I know, because I have an underwater camera. You would be amazed. Catching is a different story! Ha ha! Stay cool and enjoy!

There's room for everybody and I don't refer to them as "Stinky catfish guys." But, on the other hand, below the dam is no place for a fly rod during the heat of the Spring fishing action when there are lots of people around.

I fished from my boat just below the cable by the little island and caught some crappie, a few whites, and one hybrid on chartreuse swimming minnow. Then drifted the bank on the east side towards the bridge when the water started running and caught one one hybrid about 6 lbs. on the swimming minnow and lost 2 on my fly rod with a clouser minnow. Tried to get them in quick and that don't always work with Hybrids. Lol! I have done quite well from the rocks on shore during previous years, but I want to fly fish for hybrids and doing so from the bank around a bunch of people isn't too safe if you know what I mean.

Good luck! I'm going Tuesday with my boat. Haven't been able to go since Monday, 2 weeks ago. Caught a couple Hybrids and lost a couple. What a great fishery! Never know what you're going to catch. Tight lines!

Thanks for the info. I was planning on using my boat to access areas furthest from any roads or parking areas. Google Earth is a great tool for scoping out areas before you go scouting.

Never have hunted Stockton Lake area but I fish it a lot. I would like to give bow hunting a try there this year. Is there a lot of hunting pressure on the Corps of Engineers land? Any suggestions or comments?

My wife and I went last Sunday and we had a good day.We caught quite a few bass between 12 and 17 inches. Fished Zoom Craws in melon/red flake on main lake points in 5 to 15 feet of water. The skies were cloudy with no wind. The fish inhaled those craws! My wife did catch a 17" LM on a Heddon chugger type topwater plug. The strike was explosive and she got a thrill with that one! The bite lasted most of the day before slowing down in the afternoon. I went back the next day by myself and the skies were clear with a good wind out of the SE. I did not do any good at all. I tried the windy points with crankbaits and caught nothing. Tried jigs, plastic worms, spinnerbaits, and the craws too. My point is that Stockton can make you look like you know what you're doing one day and put you in your place the very next day. If you are there at the right time it sure helps. Gotta love it!

Thanks for the helpful and encouraging reply.

My lovely wife and I fished main lake points the other afternoon and evening. Early on there was a moderate breeze blowing across one point and the bass were there in numbers as evident on the depth finder. We caught some fish on crank baits and plastics until dark. Towards dark the activity and wind stopped. Later in the evening the fish no longer showed up on the Humminbird over and around the points. I'm just wondering if anybody would have a guess as to where these fish may have gone. Would they move to the banks to feed or just head out to deeper water? I have a hard time figuring the pattern after dark. Does it take a while for the fish to change into their night pattern? Any help is greatly appreciated.

Green sunfish were also mentioned and they have been referred to as "Black Perch," locally. I've heard that catfish prefer them because they are not as spiny as Bluegills, which makes them easier to swallow. They can be caught around rocky banks and they have a large mouth, which explains why we've all caught them while fishing for bass. They are scrappy little guys.